BEIJING: In spite of recent tensions between the EU and China over a number of issues such as human rights and the bilateral investment deal, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met several European ministers during the weekend – the first face-to-face meetings since the European Parliament froze the highly expected EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI).
An important message was unleashed at the meetings in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China’s Guizhou Province, according to some Chinese experts, that cooperation between China and Europe echoes the core interests of the majorities from the two sides, and that there are essential factors inside the EU in wrestling to meet this goal, which also need to be amplified. Wang emphasized during a meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic that whether it is bilateral relations, China-Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) relations, or China-EU relations as a whole, they are platforms for dialogue, exchanges, and cooperation between the Chinese and European people.
China-CEEC cooperation focuses on pragmatic economic and trade cooperation, which does not involve the field of defense and security, has never had geostrategic intentions, and has no intention of engaging in any sphere of influence, the senior Chinese official said. Meanwhile, Wang told Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau that as an important part of China-EU relations, China-CEEC cooperation should be further expanded while Rau said that Poland understands and respects China’s legitimate rights and interests, and is willing to make active efforts for the sound development of China-Europe relations and China-CEEC ties. “China is a great civilization with a long history and is able to use its wisdom accumulated over thousands of years to solve various challenges in modern society as proven by its effective response to COVID-19,” Rau said during the meeting. And Serbia, an “iron-clad” friend of China, agrees to further support the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism that focuses on pragmatic economic and trade cooperation while its foreign minister attributed China’s remarkable transformation to the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
– The Daily Mail-Global Times News exchange item
